Most shocking Tony moment — Page 5

I guess Bernadette losing MJW and Avenue Q winning over everthing are the biggest shockers!!!!!!

The fact that CBS cut off Elaine Stritch's acceptance speech had nothing to do with Elaine Stritch or the fact that she is a legend and long overdue for that moment. It shouldn't turn you off of the Tonys!

CBS doesn't care about having to cut her off. CBS needs to stick to the precise timetable of the event at hand. Their job is to keep their advertisers happy. They're the ones paying the bill. If Proctor and Gamble paid for a 30 second slot to advertise their latest product, they deserve to have it aired. If CBS decided to hold switching to commercial so Elaine could finish her speech, they'd have to cut the commercial. That is not what TV management is about. Could you imagine the head of CBS saying to the head of P&G "Well, we know you paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for a 30 second spot, but Elaine Stritch is a Broadway legend, and ..." ??

The vast majority of Americans have never heard of Elaine, and probably will never hear of her again. (Remember Chris Rock at the Emmy's? "Who the hell is Elaine STITCH?")

It's not CBS' fault she took forever to get herself (and everyone involved in the show) up on stage and to say her speech. The nominees are notified ahead of time of the time restrictions they're under. Personally, I'd rather do away with all of the speeches and get more live theatrical performances on the air. Wouldn't it have been more fun to see her do a number than to see her fumbling to try get a speech out?

I was in the audience that night, and she continued for a short while while the Radio City audience watched and applauded. Only those at home missed her speech (which wasn't that remarkable anyway).

The bottom line is that she won the Tony -- and it's about time, too. Her speech is basically irrelevant. (If she was not in NYC for the ceremony, it wouldn't have even been an issue.)

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I don't know why so many were surprised when AVE Q won Best Musical last year. It had already won Best Book and Best Score. Plus Q upened to great reviews and became a surprise hit. It also was an original, not based on a novel or film. WICKED opened to mixed reviews with many outright pans.

I was more shocked when RAGTIME lost Best Musical to LION KING after RAGTIME took the Tonys for Best Book and Best Score. Same thing in 1988 when INTO THE WOODS won Best Book and Best Score but PHANTOM took the Best Musical Award. Style over substance in both cases!

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"John Napier during his acceptance speech for Les Miserables asking why Starlight Express wasnt nominated (which wouldve given him a second nom in the category...biggest Tony jerk moment that! "

I had forgotten this one until it was mentioned here. For those who didn't see it, Napier won for Best Costume design for STARLIGHT EXPRESS, Walked up, mumbled a few half-hearted thank-yous and then said "Well, that's one anyway" as if he had just gotten a consolation prize. Then, a few minutes later, he won for his set design for LES MISERABLES and said "I know I'm not supposed to feel anything but...I'd like to know why (the set for) STARLIGHT wasn't nominated. I'd give this (Tony) to have been in the room..." Otis L. Guernsey in THE BEST PLAYS OF 1986/87 wrote "As a member of the nominating committee, I can report that... Starlight's design was not nominated because an insuffiencent number of the committe thought it was one of the top four designs of the season. Mr Napier is welcome to send his award to me." (I doubt JN ever did!)

In terms of tabloid scandal the 1995/95 season offered: No nomination for BIG or VICTOR/VICTORIA while two long-closed shows recieved noms. Not that BIG or VICTOR were especially deserving of noms, but they were still running at the time and could have used the boost from having a number shown on te telecast. Then Julie Andrews publicly turned down her nomination. David Merrick got into the act announcing he would sue the Tonys for only nominating the part of the score of STATE FAIR not used in the movie. (Why ANY songs from STATE FAIR should have been eligable is a mystery since they all had been written years earlier and some had been heard in the shows ME AND JULIET and PIPE DREAM!) All this gave fodder for Nathan Lane as the year's host who opened the show by coming out in Julie's Victoria costume and announced "Welcome to the Tabloid Tonys!"

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The Most Shocking Tony Moment has not occured yet. It will be when I accept the Tony for Best Actress in a musical. Or better yet, when Liam accepts the award for Best Actor!

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Colm Wilkinson had earlier lost the Olivier Award to Robert Lindsay, so that wasn't at all shocking. Besides, Lindsay TRULY carried ME AND MY GIRL.

I was shocked about THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES beating MISS SAIGON, ONCE ON THIS ISLAND and THE SECRET GARDEN for Best Musical in 1991. All good show, but I thought that TWRF was the weakest of the four.

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carol channing is like 100 years old.

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This really doesn't have to do with a win, but this has stuck with me for a long time. Liza & Bernadette were annoucing nominees for Best Actress for the 96 telecast, and that was the year (correct me if I'm wrong) that Julie Andrews declined her nomination (which I give her major props for). Liza, who had subbed for Julie, read JA's name for V/V, and then went "great show" followed by a Liza laugh. It just seemd inappropriate to me.

Some years one show seems a shoo-in (PRODUCERS, RENT, LES MIZ, SWEENEY TODD) other years it's a contest between two biggies (CITY OF ANGELS/GRAND HOTEL; NINE/DREAMGILS; INTO THE WOODS/PHANTOM OF THE OPERA; MILLIE/URINETOWN) but having watched the Tony Awards telecasts religiously since 1971 nothing really surprises me any more.

Some years they go for empty specatcle (CATS, LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, JEROME ROBBINS' BROADWAY) some years they almost perversely embrace off-beat shows that seem like shakey box office prospects (PASSION, TITANIC, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN)and once the Tony went to a long closed flop (HALLELUJAH BABY!)

We may not always agree with the choices, but we watch. It's the only national telcast to showcase 3 hours of teh best of Broadway.

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Jerry said something about "people say the hummable musical is dying but it's alive and well at the Palace Theatre..."

thank you Chita!

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Ghostlight - I'm just as embarrassed as I could possibly be... thank you for correcting me (hangs head in shame)!

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idina menzel rightfully won that Tony.